- published: 04 Aug 2015
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Robert Verdi (born August 28, 1968 in Maplewood, New Jersey) is an American TV personality and style expert. He is most noted for hosting a variety of TV programs featuring fashion and interior design.
Robert was born and raised in suburban Maplewood, New Jersey. His mother, a Portuguese immigrant, was a skilled dressmaker, and his father was a chef. Verdi developed his sensibilities in suburban New Jersey where he defied the norm to set-out on a career as a trained goldsmith. Verdi’s dogged persistence, a degree from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and an intuitive eye for design soon led to jewelry showcases in Manhattan’s fabulous four Bs—Barney’s, Bendel's, Bloomingdales and Bergdorf Goodman.
In the early '90s, Robert redirected his pursuits towards a career in television. Troubled by the fact that the fashion reporter on Gay Entertainment Television was a straight woman, Robert contacted the network, which led to his first job in television.
A 1998 article in The New York Times is quoted as saying about Robert, “In the style universe, where fashion, decorating and the media are usually on different planets, Mr. Verdi travels comfortably between them. He is a jack-of-all-trades in a world where good taste and an instinct for the Now can be a passport across boundaries.” Robert’s notoriety as a style expert led him to work with many celebrities. He planned the 1996 wedding of fashion designer Cynthia Rowley to sculptor Bill Keenan. He also designed the New York apartments of Sandra Bernhard, Hugh Jackman, Mariska Hargitay and Bobby Flay.
Coco Rocha (born Mikhaila Rocha; September 10, 1988) is a Canadian model.
Rocha was born Mikhaila Rocha in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in Richmond, British Columbia where she attended Hugh McRoberts Secondary School. Her family is in the airline industry. She has two siblings. She is of Irish and Ukrainian descent.
In 2002, agent Charles Stuart approached Rocha at an Irish dance competition and asked her if she would consider modeling for him. At that point, she had never thought of modeling before. When she did begin to model, her knowledge of fashion was limited. She eventually gained insight into the fashion world after her best friends crammed in fashion study sessions in between studying for exams. Her breakthrough came two years later, in January 2006, when she opened the Christian Lacroix couture show in Paris. After signing an exclusive contract with photographer Steven Meisel, she appeared in an editorial with Gemma Ward and Amanda Moore and landed the cover of the April 2006 issue of Vogue Italia. The following March, she walked the Fall/Winter 2006 ready-to-wear show at New York Fashion Week, most notably for Anna Sui and Marc Jacobs. Backstage at the Anna Sui show, Rocha met model Naomi Campbell, who held her hands and told her she was "her new favourite model". During Paris Fashion Week she walked for esteemed designers like Stella McCartney, Shiatzy Chen, Christian Lacroix, Emanuel Ungaro, and Marc Jacobs.
See How Robert Verdi’s Passions for Fashion and Art Have Come Together
Oscar Fashion Recap!
Stupid Oylmpics with Taylor Strecker and Robert Verdi
The Robert Verdi Show
Things Robert Verdi Hates
55 Q&A; with Robert Verdi
Robert Verdi's Introduction to The Robert Verdi Show
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Affordable Holiday Celebrations with Robert Verdi
Fashion 2.0 Awards 2014 with Zac Posen, Coco Rocha & Robert Verdi